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What an arrival.
She wears a long, silky forest green dress that hugs her curves, especially her hips. The color gains some depth as she walks, perhaps because of the soft fabric. She shines. The green complements her beautiful hazel eyes, and I take a deep breath. I will my desire away so I won't have an erection when her father is mere feet away. "Are we ready?"
"Yes. We're ready."
Much later, I take another drink of my scotch. We’re on the terrace at the Harrington’s mansion—exquisitely decorated with elegant lights and luxurious furnishings. A jazzy live band plays in the middle of the garden. Guests in designer clothes mingle and socialize, and the party has a more intimate feel than the gathering at Malcolm’s weeks ago.
When we arrived, Brooks showed himself as a good host—warmer than our last interaction—and introduced me to Beck and Grant. Beck Roderick is the head of marketing, and Grant Lewis is the director of technology. Two powerful partners of Sugar & Silk.
Now, Sarah is showing Hazel and a group of women around the house. The perfect time to pitch my idea to all the three key players standing next to me.
"So Brooks told me you've been thinking about a travel collaboration with us," Beck says. He’s an attractive man in his mid-forties, happily married to his wife Eliza, a widely known jewelry designer, after they were separated for a while.
"Yes."
"Would this be for ongoing sugar relationships or new ones? I wasn't sure when I told him," Brooks asks before he sips his scotch.
"The focus would be new," I say, squaring my shoulders. "Think about a current take on single cruises but curated sugar daddies and babies instead, and we can create different itineraries."
"So, not everyone can join?" Grant asks.
From what I learned about him online, he married his then-assistant. Earlier, I almost made a joke about that to Hazel but stopped myself.
"No, this would keep the curation and exclusivity that Sugar & Silk is known for."
"Why travel to meet people?" Beck asks over the rim of his tumbler.
"These group activities would add a different flavor to your brand. So people could date others without having to commit. They wouldn't need to be exclusive, and as you know, when we're on vacation, there’s a different intensity to things. The process of dating five or six different people would move faster and be more fun."
"How often would these things happen? I don't want to give my team more work,” Beck says.
"We’d organize the itineraries, billing, everything, and give you your cut. We can start with two or three trips a year, then increase as needed.”
"I like the idea," Grant says. "It's good to branch out and be one step ahead of the game.”
“We’ve seen increases in organized, curated trips for select groups,” I say truthfully. “I’m confident this will go over well. There’s a hungry market for it.”
"Okay. Send me the proposal, and we'll show it to our lawyers,” Brooks says.
“You won’t regret it,” I say, and we shake hands.
“Sounds good. If y’all excuse me, I have to leave early,” Beck says. “One of our kids is getting over the flu, but Eliza wanted to come and give Sarah a birthday hug.”
"Yeah, kids change everything,” I say.
"Do you have any kids?" Beck asks.
"Not yet.”
Not yet. I mentally gut-punch myself. Why didn’t I say no?
I always thought children were a better idea for someone else. My mother loved me, and we had a good life for the most part—until my father came back into the picture. But overcoming her loss and what my father did after she passed took years.
How can I be a good dad when mine sucked? I wouldn't know where to start—and I stay away from projects in which I can't excel.
Besides, I doubt Hazel wants kids soon.
Would she have them with me? A voice inside me growls.
